Hood corner protector



Sept. 15, 1931. J, F, DUFFY 1,823,647

HOOD CORNER PROTECTOR Filed Fel?. 16, 1931 Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES FRANCES DUFFY, l01?' HOLLAND, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO DUFFY MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN HOOD CORNER PROTECTOR Application led February 16, 1981. Serial No. 515,953.

This invention relates to a corner protector for hood doorsof automobiles used to cover and protect the engine of the auto'- mobile. The lower corners of the hood doors engage against suitable metal flanges attached to the chassis of the motor vehicle, and it is common to supply some covering member at said corners to obviate .rattling and other undesirable noises and to protect the corners from damage to the finish or against bending, indentations or twisting. Leather has been used at times secured to the hood doors, which are of sheet metal, but the same is not readily compressible and in a short time becomes hard with a resultant liability of producing rattling noises.

The present invention is concerned with a particularly simple, economical and effective hood door corner appliance which may be very easily attached and secured in place and which is of rubber or rubber-like material, the elasticity and colnpressibility of which is retained practically indefinitely and which serves to protect the corners of the hood and the parts against which they normally engage and at the same time insure against rattling noises.

The invention is fully described 1n the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. l is a fragmentary elevation of a hood door with one of the corner protectors of my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the corner protector.

Fig. 3 is a like elevation'taken from the inner opposite side.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section and perspectve view illustrating the manner 1n which the device is applied and secured to the corners of a hood door.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the metal reinforcing plate embeddedun the device.

Fig. 6 is an elevation, snmlar to that shown in Fig. 3, of a somewhat different form of construction of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a view, similar to Fig. 4, showing the manner in which the device illustrated in Fig. 6 is applied and attached to a hood door.

Fig. 8 is an elevation, similar to Figs. 3 and 6, of a still further form of the invention, and

Fig. 9 is a section like that shown in Fig. 7 with the construction of the device illus- (tirated in Fig. 8 shown applied to a hood oor.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

The hood door fragmentarily indicated at l is of thin sheet metal and has free lower corners at which corners the devices of my invention are to be applied and secured.

As shown in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive, the device of my invention comprises two substan tially quadrant shaped, spaced apart sides of rubber, 2 and 3, integrally connected at their sidel edges 4 corresponding to the radii of the circle of the quadrant the curved edges of the sides 2 and 3 being open to permit the entrance of the corners of the hood door 1.

' The outer side 2 may have its outer surface ribbed or otherwise molded to present an attractive design. It is considerably thicker than the inner side 3 and in it a at metal plate 5 of quadrant shape, as shown in Fig. `5 is embedded, being molded there'm when the device is manufactured; and from this plate a tongue 6 is struck at right angles to extend toward the opposite side 3 of the device and through a somewhat elongated slot 7 made therein.

In applying the device to the corner of a. hood door, the side 3,- being flexible and capable of stretching considerably, is distorted enough that the end of the tongue 6 may be carried along the outer side of the hood door l until it reaches a suitable opening made through the hood door for the passage of the tongue; and after the tongue has passed through said opening, itis bent downwardly against the inner side of the hooddoor 1, as l indicated at 8, the bent over portion 8 lying in the slot 7 and being completely received within said slot.

In Fig. 6 slightly dilferent form of the invention is shown. The side 3 is replaced by two flanges 9 located at right-angles to each other and spaced from the outer side 2 and' connected thereto by the integral edge portions 4 in the same manner as previously described, this leaving a completely open space at the inner side of the device except for the` flanges 9 which are of rubber and yieldable and flexible the same as the side 3 previously described. The metal tongue 6 is passed through the opening in the hood door 1 made for its passage and the projecting end portion bent over as indicated at 8.

In Fig. 8 a further form of the invention is shown, changed from that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive by eliminating the slot 7 in the side 3 and providing in its stead a narrow slot 1() for the passage of the free end portion of the tongue 6a, which is not bent over after the device is applied but merely extends through the opening 10, as shown in Fi 9.

' rIhese constructions of hood corner protective devices are readily molded, can be manufactured economically and are particularly useful and effective in service. Their attachment to hood doors is made rapidly. The embedded plate 5 stiffens and reinforces the outer side 2 and keeps the rubber from thinning out and changing its shape under pressure or other conditions met in service. The construction has been manufactured to a considerable extentand has immediately proven very useful and practical.'

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

1. A protector for hood doors comprising, a rubber device having spaced apart sides integrally connected at two edges thereof, and open at a third edge between said sides, one of said sides having a metal plate embedded therein, and a tongue struck at right angles from said plate extending to and through the opposite side, said opposite side having an opening for passage of the tongue.

2. A protector of rubber comprising, two spaced apart sides of substantially quadrant shape having integral connections of rubber at the two straight edges thereof, and open between said sides at the curved edge thereof, a metal plate embedded in one of said Sides having a tongue struck therefrom at right angles extending to and through the other side of said device, said other side having an elongated opening through which the tongue passes and into which it may be bent over at right angles.

3. A device of the class described comprislng, two substantially quadrant shaped spaced apart sides'of rubber integrally connected in spaced 'apart relation at the straight edges thereof, and open between said sides at the remaining edge thereof,

and means carried by one of said sides adapted to extend through a hood door when the device is applied to a corner thereof to position the same on the hood door and hold it in secure relation thereto.

4. In combination, a sheet metal hood door having lower corners, and a protective device of rubber into which a lower corner of the hood door is inserted, having two spaced apart sides one lying at the outer side and the other at the inner side of the hood door, said sides being integrally connected at their vertical and lower edges to cover the adjacent vertical and lower edges of the corner portion of the door, a reinforcing plate embedded in the outer side of said device, and a tongue of metal struck from said plate passing through the door and the inner side of said device.

5. In combination, a sheet metal hood door having a lower corner with a vertical end edge and a lower horizontal edge and a protective device of rubber having an outer side lying against the outer side of the corner portion of the door, integral edge portions passing around the vertical and lower edges of the door at said corner and an inner continuation of said edge portions lying against the inner side of the door, a reinforcing plate of metal embedded in said side of said device and means extending therefrom passing through the door and bent over at its inner end against the inner side of the door for .the purposes described.

6. A device of the class described comprising, a rubber device having spaced apartsides integrally connected at an edge thereof, one of said sides having a metal plate embedded therein and a tongue struck at right angles from said plate extending to and through the opposite side, said opposite side having an opening for the passage of said tongue.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES FRANCES DUFFY. 

